Car stereo maker Eclipse, the U.S. brand of Fujitsu Ten, displayed its CD7200 mkII at CES 2008, a single CD receiver unit designed for high quality audio. The copper-plated chassis of this car stereo keeps external electrical signals from causing noise in the unit's wiring, and it uses gold-plated connectors for optimal signal transmission. The CD player uses 24-bit digital-to-audio converters, where the majority of car CD players on the market only use 16-bit.

The CD7200 mkII doesn't have an onboard amp, as it is designed as a control unit for an external amp and speaker setup. It does have an 8 volt preamp, significantly more powerful than most, which delivers good audio clarity even at low volumes. With its integrated E-iServ technology, users can download an acoustic profile for their type of car and load it into the stereo. Profiles are only available for car types, such as SUV and sedan, and not by individual car models. As a car stereo, the CD7200 mkII accepts a broad array of sources, from its MP3-capable CD player to USB, iPod, and satellite radio expandability. It comes with built-in Bluetooth for streaming audio. The front panel folds down, hides the CD slot, and incorporates Eclipse's standard car stereo interface.

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Wayne Cunningham reviews cars and writes about automotive technology for CNET. Prior to the Car Tech beat, he covered spyware, Web building technologies, and computer hardware. He began covering technology and the Web in 1994 as an editor of The Net magazine. He's also the author of "Vaporware," a novel that's available as a Nook e-book.
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